On The Hook with Matt Wilson Matt Wilson

Drawing on the concepts presented in Matt's book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, Kat Edmonson joins Matt to discuss


choosing the right environment to spark and capture inspiration,coping with criticism and expectations in high-exposure performance opportunities,gaining strength through improvement, perseverance, and creativity,realizing one's authentic aspirations and pursuing a new path, andfinding meaning and balance that transcends the public persona.  Kat Edmonson is an award-winning songwriter and singer "with an equal foothold in jazz, cabaret, and vintage cosmopolitanism pop" (The New York Times). She has been featured on Austin City Limits, Tiny Desk Concerts, A Prairie Home Companion, and The Late Show.


The New York Times describes her music as "fresh as a spring bouquet," while NPR says, "Hearing Edmonson makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen."


Kat holds a deep and longstanding commitment to creating the highest quality recordings possible, working with multi-GRAMMY®-award-winning producers and audio engineer legends Frank Filipetti, Fernando Lodeiro, Ed Cherney, Phil Ramone, and the recording giant Al Schmitt (24-time-GRAMMY®-award-winner) who said of Kat, "She is a tremendous talent … with a style and charm that reaches fans in the worlds of blues, rock, pop, and beyond."


In 2013, The Songwriters Hall of Fame awarded Kat the Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Excellence in Songwriting. "Intuitive about melody and handy with a turn of phrase (The New York Times), the songsmith has been writing since she was a little girl, having published over 40 songs. JAZZIZ magazine says, "…her lasting contribution might very well be her songs." NPR says, "She's a savvy student of '60s film soundtracks, jazz-pop stylists, and Brill Building songcraft, nodding to her influences at every turn. But her take on those stylized musical languages is so fresh and fluent that the referencing never feels cumbersome." Her original song "Lucky" was featured in the Coca-Cola "Footprints" ad from the 2014 Winter Olympics.




The Texas native began crafting her signature sound while performing in Austin's local club circuit for years before releasing her debut LP, Take To The Sky, in 2009. In addition to her headline tours, Kat has gone on the road in support of Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Gary Clark, Jr., Jaime Cullum, and Shawn Colvin and has opened shows for Smokey Robinson, George Benson, Amos Lee, Michael Kiwanuka, Asleep at the Wheel, Nick Lowe, and Willie Nelson.


Kat Edmonson lives in New York.


In winter 2022, Kat made her theatrical debut in "The Hang,": a new jazz opera by Taylor Mac and Matt Ray. Upon its opening, the off-off Broadway show received "Critic's Pick" in The New York Times, highlighting Kat's "extraordinary artistry." About her performance, Vulture praises the burgeoning actress for her "weightless, soaring scat arias," The Wrap says, "Kat Edmonson emerges as the Teresa Stratus of off-off-Broadway." "The Hang" imagines the final hours of the life of Socrates as he asks his friends to use every moment left to think on virtue.

Matt Wilson gained national exposure as the "Piano Man" in the First National Tour of Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp's Tony-award-winning musical Movin' Out. In 2005, the Texas State Senate honored Matt with a resolution for his achievements in Fine Arts, and he was accepted to the 2016 - 2018 Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster. Matt continues to tour with his band, headlining numerous public, private, and social events. 



In 2021, Matt released his first book, Hooks: Lessons on P
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Drawing on the concepts presented in Matt's book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, Phil Pritchett joins Matt to discuss the expectations and realities of the working musician. 

Topics include
stories from the studio and the stage, how to approach and evaluate performance,reassessing career goals, andfocusing on meaning and being grateful.Phil Pritchett is a Texas-based rock and roll singer-songwriter, entertainer, and producer.

www.philpritchett.com.


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Season 2, Episode 3 - Geoff Smith, Katie Pinder Brown, and Ken Gustafson join Matt to talk about the longstanding tradition of the piano bar. Topics include
the allure and accessibility of the show, multiple strategies for an ideal performance,balancing entertainment and musicality,and how a piano bar show can affect an audience.Guests

Geoff Smith is a prolific American music producer and performer. His work includes custom music creation for all forms of media and live- musical performance. Geoff's most recent projects include producing the new Cast Recording for the Musical KINGDOM COME and touring with the Wallflowers on bass guitar.
Geoff grew up in Franklin in a musical family and studied music at Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in the early 90s. While in college, Geoff began working for Opryland/Gaylord as a theme park performer in their Nashville and San Antonio, Texas parks. 
While in Texas, Geoff joined Howl At The Moon Dueling Pianos in 1995 and became the founding Entertainment Director for Crazy Pianos in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1997. While living in Europe, Geoff studied songwriting and studio production at Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. 
Upon returning to the States, Geoff Smith became one of the original founding members of The Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar management team in 2001 (www.thebigbangbar.com). He co-founded Rock and Roll Pianos, a live event music company (www.rockandrollpianos.com). 
Geoff is a session musician and educator in Nashville and has been the touring bassist for the Wallflowers in 2018 and 2019. Other artists Geoff has played with include Will Lee, Phil Keaggy, Gabe Dixion, Sugar and the Hi-Lows, and Jim Messina. Geoff teaches grammar school music at Franklin Classical School. 
He is also a partner and the producer of www.ringtonefeeder.com - an innovative ringtone service. Geoff Smith has been an active supporter and composer for the Songs of Love Foundation since 2006. 
Geoff has had TV and commercial placement for his music (heard on the Voice, American Pickers, MTV Awards, and various ads for companies such as Blackberry and GoDaddy.) 
Geoff has produced the Original Cast Recording of the musical KINGDOM COME by well-known CCM and Soul Musician and his father, Moose Smith. 
Awards include:
Winner of the Big Gig Jingle Contest for the Nashville MTA 2008 Winner of the 2007 Carolina Beach Music Award For Best Duo and 
Collaboration for the song "Rhythm" with the Impressions.
You can find out more about Geoff can be found at his website: www.thegeoffsmith.com

Katie Pinder Brown is an accomplished, versatile singer and piano entertainer based in Orlando whose dynamic voice, charismatic presence, and impressive repertoire have dazzled and delighted international audiences. Katie adeptly tackles various genres, from musical theatre and jazz to pop/top 40, from classical to rock 'n' roll. She has made a name for herself in Florida and beyond as a vocal chameleon, a human jukebox, and a musical Jill-of-all-trades. So far, her career has brought her to 25 US states, 18 countries, and four continents, and her goal is to rock all seven before she retires. She hopes her newly created Carole King tribute show Natural Woman will take her all the way. 
As a dueling piano player, she facilitates an extraordinary range of song requests with aplomb and expertly collaborates with countless partners instantaneously on her travels. She also founded her Certified Women-Owned production company Piano Party, which is emerging as an industry leader in world-class piano entertainment and specializing in all-female shows.
Katie comes from a very musical family in Georgia w
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Drawing on the concepts presented in Matt's book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, Stuart Malina  joins Matt to discuss
his role in creating Movin' Out and a reflection on the show 20 years later,multiple strategies for masterful performance,utilizing and discerning opinions,and maintaining a balanced perspective professionally and personally.In a wide variety of concerts, from masterworks and grand opera to pops, Stuart Malina's ease on the podium, engaging personality, and insightful interpretations have thrilled audiences and helped break down the barriers between performer and listener.
This year marks Stuart's 22nd season as Music Director and conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. In June 2022, he was named Music Director of the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra in Greenwich, CT, where he will begin conducting concerts in September of 2023. Throughout his career, he has conducted and directed multiple orchestras around the world. His Carnegie Hall debut was in 2007, where he conducted the New York Pops in an all-Gershwin tribute, including Rhapsody in Blue, which he conducted from the keyboard.
He's also an accomplished pianist; Stuart has impressive credits as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed concertos in Harrisburg, Greensboro, Charleston, New York, and Chautauqua, most often conducting from the keyboard. As a composer and arranger, he has created dozens of orchestral works, ranging from entire pops shows to works for symphony orchestra. His most recent composition, Common Fanfare for an Uncommon Orchestra, received its world premiere by the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in September 2017.
Stuart's activities also extend to Broadway. In 2003, he won the Tony award for orchestration with Billy Joel for the musical Movin' Out. He acted in Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Master Class, opposite Zoe Caldwell and Audra MacDonald, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has also served as associate conductor of the national touring company of West Side Story and as conductor of the Charleston production of Porgy and Bess. 
In May 2020, Stuart received an honorary doctorate from Lebanon Valley College. He has received the Joanne Rogers Award for contribution to the artistic life of Pennsylvania, the Jump Street Spectrum Award, the Lebanon Valley College's 2012 Founders Day, the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts from Theater Harrisburg, and Leadership Harrisburg's Platinum Award for Servant Leadership.

Stuart holds degrees from Harvard University, the Yale School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied conducting with Otto-Werner Mueller. He studied piano with Drora and Baruch Arnon and with Keiko Sato.
 
 He resides in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Marty. They are the proud parents of two children, Sara and Zev.  Stuartmalina.com

Matt Wilson gained national exposure as the "Piano Man" in the First National Tour of the Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp's Tony-award-winning musical Movin' Out. In 2005, the Texas State Senate honored Matt with a resolution for his achievements in Fine Arts, and he was accepted to the 2016 - 2018 Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster. Matt continues to tour with his band, headlining numerous public, private, and social events of all sizes. 

In 2021, Matt released his first book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, available on Amazon and iBooks.
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Drawing on the concepts presented in Matt’s book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, Ross Shafer joins Matt to discuss


Identifying and aligning skills for reinventing yourself professionally.Finding meaning within the mundane and how to reframe your day-to-day endeavors.How to draw confidence from what sets you apart.A few performance tips for the stage.Recreating success after failure or when taking on a new endeavor.In addition, Ross shares some cool stories from his years in comedy and television. 


Ross Shafer is a six-time Emmy Award-winning TV broadcaster & comedian and has hosted talk and game shows on NBC, ABC, FOX, MGM, and USA Network. He is the author of ten business books on growth, motivation, customer experience, and accountability. A writer/producer of 14 Human Resource films. Ross has served as the keynote speaker for over 2,500 events worldwide and is a national Speaker Assn. Hall of Fame recipient. https://rossshafer.com


Matt Wilson gained national exposure as the “Piano Man” in the First National Tour of the Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s Tony-award-winning musical Movin’ Out. In 2005, the Texas State Senate honored Matt with a resolution for his achievements in Fine Arts, and he was accepted to the 2016 - 2018 Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster. Matt continues to tour with his band, headlining numerous public, private, and social events. 


In 2021, Matt released his first book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, available on Amazon and iBooks.


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Drawing on the concepts presented in Matt’s book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, Dan Holmes joins Matt to discuss
specific tips for building and maintaining an online presence,the role specificity plays in your brand, andthe importance of finding joy in what you are selling.Dan Holmes is a professional musician, songwriter, entertainer, and founder of Allrequestpiano.com. Dan and his partner, Heather Ray, perform over 200 shows a year as All Request Piano. Through Dan’s management, allrequestpiano.com maintains an online presence that generates tangible and profitable returns. Dan is a respected musician and performer in the Central Texas area and beyond—Danholmesgroup.com
Matt Wilson gained national exposure as the Piano Man in the First National Tour of the Billy Joel and Twyla Tharp’s Tony-award-winning musical Movin’ Out. In 2005, the Texas State Senate honored Matt with a resolution for his achievements in Fine Arts, and he was accepted to the 2016 - 2018 Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster. Matt continues to tour with his band, headlining numerous public, private, and social events of all sizes. 
In 2021, Matt released his first book, Hooks: Lessons on Performance, Business, and Life from a Working Musician, available on Amazon and iBooks.


Support the show